Effect of menopause and renal function on vitamin D status in Iranian women.

The effects of menopause and renal function on serum parameters of the vitamin D-endocrine system were studied in a cross-sectional sample of 676 healthy women aged 20-74 years in Shiraz. Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) was found in 52.9% of the women. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) increased significantly over the age span in premenopausal women (r= 0.13, P= 0.02). In premenopausal and postmenopausal women, serum levels of 25-OHD, phosphorus and calcium were stable across the age span. There was no significant correlation between creatinine clearance or serum PTH (r= -0.016, P= 0.66) and 25-OHD (r= 0.012, P= 0.74). The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency warrants consideration of dietary supplementation.